I'll-Ask-A-Crafter: Crafter Coming to Alaska

Dear Alaska Crafter,
I'll be in Alaska for a week on vacation in August-- Anchorage, Seward and thereabouts, and a drive up to Denali.  I am always on the lookout for local craft shops-- fabrics, yarn, other cool local craft items.

I live in New York, so I have plenty of stores here for this stuff (and not enough space to store all my purchases! :) ,  but I would love to get something super Alaskan on my trip.  For instance, in France, I bought a cross-stitch project of a blue Vespa and some Provencal fabric for table linens, in Japan I bought some scraps of kimono fabric that I haven't figured out what to do with yet.

In my cliched imagination, I see some bear- or moose- printed fabric that would make an awesome throw pillow for my city apartment.  But what does a local crafter think I should get in Alaska?  And do you have any suggestions where to get it?

Thanks for any help or advice! 
Best,
On My Way to the Big AK

Dear On My Way,
Let me be the first to welcome you to our great state! The tourist season is just days away for us here in Juneau and, like each year, we welcome crafters of all kinds. From crafting cruises, to cruisers who like to craft, independent visitors, family, friends and even locals, our state offers handcrafted takeaways of every kind to remind you of adventurous times passed and still to come.

Read more after the jump . . . 

And as this article is mostly focused on the Juneau area, if you are in the interior area of Alaska and have info to add please leave a comment so that all crafters coming to Alaska this season can find out where to go to get the goods!! Thanks so much!!!

I'll-Ask-A Crafter: Clay and Upcycling

I have a couple of questions: What is the best clay that you prefer for sculpting? How do you get it to harden? Does super glue work well with this or any other clay? What paint do you prefer for the clay? Thank you for reading. - Curious About Clay 

Well, Curious, thank you for reading! For at-home sculpting projects like scale model-building or button-making I get crafty with polymer clays. There are several brands on the market, but the two I am most familiar with are Fimo and Sculpey. Working on a flat clean surface, like a piece of plexiglass, you can knead the clay to warm it up. Then you're ready to roll, shape, cut or mold the material however you'd like.

Once you like the look, pop it into your conventional oven and bake it according to the directions on the package. It usually only takes a few minutes, but it does have a bit of a plastic-y smell. The sculpture will harden as it cools and if you undercook it, it will come out slightly flexible, so it may take a bit to get the hang of the timing. After cooling, carve, drill or sand the final piece (sand underwater to avoid dust particles) and paint it as well. Acrylic paints and craft paints work best, and are generally less toxic.

For gluing hardened clays together use a Cyanoacrylate glue (a.k.a. CA or superglue). You only need a few drops of this super-stuff to bond clay, and it's quick, but make sure to insert a t-pin into the tip to prevent the bottle from clogging.

I am in the process of cleaning my storage unit, and I'm a pack rat. ... I keep a lot of things that could be useful, like ribbons, strawberry baskets, lapel pins, etc. ... I always have it in my head that I would do a craft, but I never do ... I was wondering, is there a place where I could take my stuff so that crafty people could put it to good use? Also, can you think of anyone who would accept clothing that maybe people wouldn't really wear (socks, underwear, and well, horribly unstylish clothing) and turn them into something useful...(Sewing circles, quilting groups, etc?)...Any suggestions would be appreciated! - Clean and Crafty 

I'll-Ask-A Crafter by Alaska Crafter

I'll-Ask-A Crafter is the question and answer portion of Alaska Crafter.  Write in anytime with questions to get your answers: alaskacrafter@gmail.com.


Rhubarb grows endlessly in our front yard and we are looking for new ways to use it up. Please help! - Run Over By Rhubarb

 Well, ROBR, have you tried sorbet? I stumbled upon a recipe for rhubarb sorbet this summer that could not be simpler. It requires only three ingredients that should already be on hand: sugar, water and rhubarb. Create a simple syrup by dissolving 5 oz. of sugar in 2 cups of water and then boil it for five minutes to get the right consistency. While the syrup cools, clean and chop 1 lb. of rhubarb stalks into 1-inch chunks. Heat the pieces in a saucepan with 2 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon sugar while stirring. As you bring it to a boil, the rhubarb will break down into a pulp - it's really cool. Combine the cooled syrup with the cooled rhubarb in a food processor or blender and you're ready to throw it all into an ice cream maker.

No ice cream maker? No problem! The basic principle of the ice cream maker is that the interior core (where the liquid is held) is wrapped in an outer core of rapidly melting ice and is being agitated. Huh? Okay, grab a food-safe inner core, like a quart-sized self-zipping plastic bag, or a small tin can. Put the rhubarb mixture inside and zipper the bag, or seal the can with plastic wrap and rubber bands. Now, put the smaller bag or can in a larger bag or can (like a gallon-sized bag or a coffee can). In between the two layers fill the space with ice and rock salt, often labeled as ice cream salt in the store. This will aid the ice in melting faster, which will transfer all its icey coldness into your icey treat. Believe me, it’s science. Now all you have to do is seal it up and agitate. If your using zippered bags, just squish the stuff around a bunch, refilling the ice and salt as it melts. For the can method, play a little game of kick-the-can, or maybe just roll-the-can. Either way, with a little elbow grease you’ll come up with a delicious soft-serve sorbet treat that is both simple and eco-friendly.  Yum!

I have a wedding to attend soon and I have the dress all ready but no jewelry! I’m kind of crafty and want to make a necklace that matches my dress, but don’t want it to look “homemade.” Any ideas? - Nude Neck in Need 

NNIN, “homemade” is hip, haven’t you heard? But, in all seriousness, for an important event you want to look polished and up-to-date, not sporting the dried macaroni necklace you made in third grade. Here is a super-easy necklace idea that looks chic and is in style everywhere right now.

Buy several strands of beads, and one yard of ribbon that compliments your dress color, making sure the scale of the ribbon and beads work together. Restring the beads onto beading cord and neatly tie the ends together to create a circle. Lay the circle of beads on a flat surface and pull on two opposite ends until you have a flattened oval, or a double-strand effect. Now, snip the yard of ribbon into two pieces and loop each piece into the ends of your flattened oval. Tie the ribbon pieces together behind your neck in a bow and instantly you have a beaded necklace.

For a real statement piece, fold the flattened oval in half again to create a quadruple-strand necklace. Now you have instant jewelry that can match any outfit in a flash.

This article first published here by The Juneau Empire . . .

I'll Ask-A-Crafter : Pinking Shears, Tags

Here they are, answers to your deep, burning craft questions . . .

What are pinking shears? -Perturbed in Pink
Well PIP, though they may sound like a torture devise invented by your grandmother, pinking shears are actually a very handy tool that every crafter could use around the house. Chances are if your mother has a sewing machine, pinking shears are hiding somewhere nearby. These scissors, or shears, are used to cut woven fabric. The jagged edge clips the threads of the woven fabric in such a way that doesn't prevent unraveling, but reduces damage to the fabric as it unravels. Plus, they make a really fun jagged or "pinked" edge. Which is exactly the reason why your mom hides them, because the fun paper starbursts you love to make dull these babies (never use fabric scissors on paper). Pinking shears were named after Pink, not the punky pop star, but the flower whose petals have a similar jagged edge.

I make dolls and sell them locally. I really want unique tags, but haven't found a good solution. Any ideas? - Mistagged in Misery 

From Craft Addiction to Craft Business: Part 3 0f 3

- Note: This is part 2 in a 3-part series on the business of craft with 
special emphasis on the local Juneau market.  Find part 1 here and find part 2 here

*** Please check out the resources section after the jump!!***

How many First Fridays have you spent thumbing through earrings at Annie Kaills or donning knit hats at the Juneau Artist's Gallery and thought to yourself, "Could I be selling here someday?" If you're like me it may take months or even years to work up the courage to sell your crafty products directly to local storefronts. Often the most nerve-racking part comes from lack of knowledge of the industry and the "rules." To help you out I've gathered tips from local stores and several resources to give you an edge on the local craft market.

From Craft Addiction to Craft Business: Part 2

- Note: This is part 2 in a 3-part series on the business of craft with 
special emphasis on the local Juneau market.  Find part 1 here. 

So, you're a crafter with a product that you know is fantastic (because the orders from friends and family keep rolling in), and you want to take the next step and sell to someone you don't know. You've answered some of the questions from part 1 of this series (the who, what, why and when of selling) and you're ready. What's next?

Where to sell your products?
There are three large markets that are accessible to local artisans, and a crafter might choose to participate in one, two, or all three. Online stores, local boutiques, and fairs and markets make up the bulk of how a crafter can get his or her products out to the greater public. For this column, part 2 in this series, we'll focus on online sales, with a particular emphasis on the crafter's marketplace known as Etsy.

From Craft Addiction to Craft Business: part 1

Are you addicted to craft? Do you love it so much you share your needles (knitting, that is)? Are your projects endlessly taking over the living room, bedroom, even bathroom? Then you may be the perfect candidate to turn your addiction from a hobby into a business.

There are a lot of important questions to ask when diving into any business, and selling craft is no exception. In this three part series we'll take a look at some of these questions to help decide if you are ready to embark on a path of selling your craft in our local market.

Click here to read more . . .

Felted Sweater Socks Tutorial

Today marked the first launch of a Q&A style column I'm calling I'll-Ask-A-Crafter (get it, Alaska Crafter : I'll-Ask-A Crafter - yes, I know I'm a dork). And the first two questions I answered were about sweater socks and crocheting boyfriends- what fun! 

In the article I explain how to make these socks- super-quick felted footwear for lounging around the house.  I originally posted about these socks over at the Craft Addicts page.

Then I wanted to make a second pair and make them long enough for tucking into Xtra-tufs, so I modified the design a bit, and now have a new tutorial featuring the socks pictured below.  So, check out the tutorial after the jump or go here for the shorter version!